Battery clamp



July 19, 1927. H J HICK 6 BATTERY CLAMP Filed Feb. 6. 1922 2 sheets-sheet 1 I@ L 1 Q mi arl-0mm@ H. J. mcg

BATTERY CLAMP Filed Feb. 6, 1922 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 19, 1927.v

HARRY J'. HICK, 0Fv ALLIANCE, OHIO, COMPANY, OF'ALLIANCE,

ASSIGNOR TO TH HYKON MANUFACTURIG OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

`mmramr CLAMP.

I Application inea February s, 1922. serial No. 534,424.

The inventionrelates to means for securing battery boxes and the like in a supporting frame or receptacle, and the object of the improvement is to provide a yielding clamp which will not be affected by the vibrations of use in an automobile or the like.

A further object of lthe improvement is to provide a clamp which can be readily attached and detached from the battery box, without turning-screws, or operating latches or other locking means; and which will remain in proper position adjacent to the battery box when disengaged 'therefrom for readily reengaging therewith.

Battery boxes are usually provided withhandles on each end having horizontal bars with which a retaining clamp is conveniently engaged; and the present invention 1nvolves the use of an upright clam plate adjacent to each handle bar, adjusta ly andyieldingly mounted on the upper end of a laterally swinging support and having one or more hooks for engaging the handle bar and a tongue adapted to be engaged by a. tool bearing on the handle, for engaging and disengaging the hooks.

receptacle,

A preferred embodiment of t-he invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in whichi' Figure 1 is a plan of a battery box in a the battery handle and the other clamp dis- -engaged therefrom;

Fig. 2, a longitudinal section on line II-II, Fig. 1, omitting contents'of the battery box;

Fig. 3, a fragmentary detached perspective View showing a clamp disengaged from a handle, with tool in position 'for en gaging it therewith; and

Fig. 4, a similar view, showing a clamp engaged with a handle, with a tool in posltion for disengaging -it therefrom.

Similar numerals refer to similar ,parts throughout the drawings.

The battery box` 5 and the receptacle 6 may be of any form in-common use, and as shown may both be made of wood, with the battery box of suitable dimensions to be seate'dwithin the receptacle box, leaving a sul`- cient interval 7 between'the ends of Y the boxes for receiving the clamping means, The batshowing one clamp engaged with.

tery box is provided with handles 8 secured on its ends, each having a transverse handle bar 9 located above the upper edge of the box, in well known manner.

The clamping means may include a clamping plate 9a mounted on the up er end of an j upright rod or stem 10, the ower end of which stern is adjustably secured to the bottom 11 of the receptacle, box or other support upon which the battery box rests. As shown, the lower end 12 of the upright-stem may be threaded and extendedthrough an enlarged aperture 13 in the bottom 11. and may be held in different positions of adjustment by means of nuts 14 above and below the bottom of the receptacle. v

The enlarged aperture permits the upright stem to swing a. limited extent to and from the battery box, as shown at the right in Flg. 2; but it will be understood that a swinging of the clamp plate 9 on the upper end of the stem may be permitted by a bending or flexion thereof, if it is desired tov connect the stem rigidly to the bottom of lthe receptacle box.

yThe upright clamp plate 9"L may be mounted upon the upper end of the stem by an L-llange 15 having an aperture 16 therein for receivlng'the upper threaded `end 17 of the upright stem, upon which stern the plate may be adjusted and secured by means of a nut 18 below the L- late, a coil spring 19 around the threadedp portion of the stem, and a nut 20 on the threaded portion of the stem above the spring.

lThe lower nut 18 serves as a stop upon which the flange of the clamp plate normally rests, as shown in Fig. 3, and at the .right'in Fig. 2; and the upper ,nut serves as a stop for the spring which yieldingly holds the flange of the clamp plate downward, but permits it to yield upward, as shown in Fig. 4 and in the left of Fig. 2.

The particular location of the clamping The'upper end of the upright clamp plate is provided with `hooks 21 shaped to inwardly extend and engage over the handle bar 9,

and as shown, these hooks may be formed by slitting the upper end of the clamp plate and laterally bending side portions thereof to form the inverted U-sl1aped hooks shown in the drawings.

The upper end of the clamp plate isalso provided with an L-tongue 22 located above l the plane of the hooks, which may be formed by laterally bending an intermediate' portion of the clamp plate between the hooks which are bent from the side portion thereof.

The parts are proportioned so that the L-tongue will inwardly extend over and at an interval above the handle bar 9, when the hooks are engaged therewith, so that a flat tool, which may be the end of an ordinary screw driver 23, may be entered under the tongue while bearing upon `the handle bar and may be used either for engaging the hooks therewith or disengagi'ng them therefrom.

` The parts are proportioned and arranged so that when-the hooks of the clamp plate are disengaged from the handle bar, the clamp plate will swing outward from the side of the battery handle and the coil spring will hold the plate downward with its hooks at the side of the handle bar, as shown in Fig.

for engagement therewith when the tool is of Fig. 2; and by raising the handle of the tool, the clamp plate will be raised so as to disengage the hooks from the handle ba'r and then swung outward to carry the hooks 5 outside the handle bar, after which the clamp plate will' spring downward into normal inoperative position when the tool is withdrawn; it being understood that the clamp tongue will slip or slide from the tool at the end of each operation. so that an actual withdrawal of the. tool is not required.

An ordinary screw driver may be employed for engaging and disengaging the clamp hooks, but in certain cases. the shank of the tool may be bent upward at au ,interval from its end, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, so that Ithe handle of the tool will extend freely above the battery in a'll its operations.

l claim:

A clamp for the handle bar of a battery b'ox and the like, including a laterally .movable member yieldingly' mounted alongside the handle and having spaced inwardly eX- tending hooks for engaging the bar and a separate inwardly extending tongue intermediate the hooks and adapted to be lifted by' a tool bearing rn the bar for engaging and disengaging the hooks.

HARRY J. HIGK." 

